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In my maple-necked neck-thru, things are way too bright and thin with an SH-5 Custom in the bridge (I know, it should be fat and thick, but not in this guitar). I also realize that I'm don't want a Ceramic bridge p'up in this guitar, as they're very quot;stridentquot; (hard) sounding even on clean (no compression). I'm needing something with a lot of bass, a lot of mids, and very little highs. From my experience in other guitars, the Invader (or a Super Distortion) would be perfect, but they're both Ceramics. Any suggestions for this guitar, perhaps slipping an A5 magnet into the middle of the Invader (I think it has 3 magnets total)?

I wouldn't mess around with the magnet since there's already a pickup with the output of the Invader but having A5 magnet: the Bare Knuckle 'Warpig'. A guy at Harmony Central wrote it killed the Invaders in the mix when he compared it with his other guitars. It also looks cooler IMO.
I think the invader would probably work well, (has a lot of low end) the problem with magnet changes is the invader has 3 ceramic mags, so you would end up with a hybrid magnet pup. If you want to give it a try I suggest an A2 instead of A5. THAT would be unholy.

The Custom Custom might be up your alley it has a huge midrange hump that will really warm up a guitar. It also has round highs and a smooth, but loose lowend.

Luke

try the $30 detonator!

from : localhost/pup is a incredible value and is a bit more refined sounding than the invader
it uses a regular bar ceramic instead of the three individual ceramic mags
giving it a more refined invader tone


Originally Posted by PeterkuI wouldn't mess around with the magnet since there's already a pickup with the output of the Invader but having A5 magnet: the Bare Knuckle 'Warpig'. A guy at Harmony Central wrote it killed the Invaders in the mix when he compared it with his other guitars. It also looks cooler IMO.
1 i totally agree with what you said, though they are a little on the pricey side.

The Warpig is, depending on exchange rates (they're made in England), about twice as much $ as an Invader. I'm not a big fan of ceramics for the same reasons you give, but the Invader is a pickup that really needs a ceramic. It has SO much low end that dropping to an Alnico 5 would probably make it pure mud. Seriously -- you won't believe how much rumble and roar it has.

On the other hand, if you're guitar is really that thin and bright, you might be able to get away with an Alnico 5. That being the case, there's no need to worry about the two thin ceramics on the outsides of the coil. You can just use some spacers from other pickups to shore up the outer side of the coils and it will work fine. Or you might even try the Alnico 5 with the two outer ceramics just to see what it sounds like.

Another thing I'm curious about is what it (or any humbucker) would sound like with one of those thin ceramics on the outside of just one of the coils. I'd prefer a skinny Alnico of some kind but ceramics, like the outer magnets on an Invader or a Gibson 500T, are the only skinny magnets I'm aware of.

That would really be cool to be able to experiment with outer magnets of different grades of Alnico, really customizing the tone of each coil...

One other thing about the Invader -- speaking of the neck version. I don't know if they still make them this way but the neck models I tried about 10 years ago sound pretty dull -- BUT...if you open up the taped off coil leads, you'll find they put a capacitor (don't remember the value) in there to shunt some of the highs to ground. Remove the capacitor and the pickup will be a lot brighter and, in my opinion, clearer/better.

It's only 7.2k so if you remove the capacitor and the ceramic and then pop an Alnico in it, it would probably be a great vintage sounding (it not looking) neck pu. With those huge poles, you can bend the string all the way across the neck without any drop-out.

I don't see how you can get something as hot as an Invader using an A5 without it sounding mushy on the bottom end like a ToneZone.Dimarzio makes a couple of pickups that are A5 that have the EQ curve you describe but none of those are quite as hot as the Invader.

See, I love the sound of the Invader, but I'm afraid it won't be just right in this guitar. I used to use one in my SG (very resonate and bright, but not as bright as my neck-thru guitar), and it KILLED my maple neck-thru with the Custom bridge. I'd play my homemade guitar, which sounds very full and perfect in the neck position, and flip to the bridge and it just had hardly any eh-hem, quot;ballsquot; to it, no beef. Then I'd grab the SG with the Invader and it sounded huge and full. So maybe I'll give the regular Invader a try. I'll keep in mind the Detanator idea or the neck Invader (may not be loud enough, though).